Short story: “The Man in the Mirror” (2018) by Mark Hastings

The complete short story “The Man in the Mirror” from Mark’s 2018 short-story collection, ‘Playing God’, about a washed-up rock star, called Paul, who finds himself staring at his own reflection, as well as being given a glimpse into the extraordinary history and former identity of the mysterious “Man in White” whose reflection gives an insight into who he is, who he was, and why he does what he does – at the same time helping Paul to realise that he has more to live for than he knows. ‘Playing God’ is a collection of “Seven stories… Seven perspectives… Seven experiences… about One Man in Black, one Man in White… Seven morality tales of one immortal Rebel, Hero, Friend, Fan, Father, Son, Playing, God”. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

My Poem “Don’t walk away”

It’s hard to learn how not to do something
when doing that something has meant so much to you…
it’s hard to change how you see something
when that same something has been
what has defined you for so long…
something new isn’t always what you need…
something you already know feels so good,
because it is what gives birth to your dreams…
walking away from somewhere where everybody
knows your name and what you like,
walking away from someone who knows you
better than anybody, is a truly selfish act…
walking away from something, or someone,
when you have no good reason to do so is bad,
and when you try to start again without something,
or someone in particular, in your life, you feel empty,
you feel sad, you feel like you are going mad…
things can be tough sometimes…
everybody makes mistakes…
we are all human – which means that
we do not have unlimited time to waste…
when we walk away from something, or someone,
we sometimes leave behind a vital part of ourselves,
a part of our soul, and afterwards we feel like
we are living in a limbo-like daze –
because we are not the same…
if I could turn back the clock
I would definitely do some things differently;
Why? Because I have learned the hard way
that some things feel right for a reason,
and if you truly value the way that something,
or someone, makes you feel
then you should never walk away from them –
because, take it from me,
one day you may regret that decision.